Vanmala Jain’s journey is a coming together of clay craft and community. She spent her formative years studying at the National Institute of Design and then went on to work at Palam Pottery with the legendary Kripalsingh Shekhawat. It was here that she cultivated her entrepreneurial skills and learnt about limited edition art ceramics. In her early years she taught in several design institutes and built a practice from learning to teach, applying theory to practice and working with and researching with large groups, which are skills she brings to Kuprakabi today. Kuprakabi is a where her community centered practice comes to life. At the Kuprakabi Ceramic Design Studio, Vanmala or her other colleagues provide the community with designs and ideas, which are then executed by the growing community. Kuprakabi aims to develop the best in ceramic design and create an ecosystem for sustainable livelihoods for all stakeholders involved in the craft. She has been training people, who have not inherited craft traditions, people from all walks of life, traditionally labeled unemployable, to become new craft communities. 

She has worked on a number of government projects enabling her connection with craftspeople from across the country. Kuprakabi products see the convergence of multiple skills and craft practices to create products that are economically viable for their makers and highlight their core values – handmade, sustainable and ethically made.